- by Sobia Aslam Lahore is famous for its delicacies, from the infamous Hajji ki nihaari to Phajjay ke paey, from the sweet kheer of Gawalmandi to Regal Chowk's chaat. Food is the weakness of the people of Lahore and it has an important role to play in almost all activities of the city. No festival or celebration is complete without greasy, cholesterol-ridden fatty food from the Inner City. Be it the beautiful spring festival of Basant, or the religious Eid celebration, everything has more than one specialty in the form of some Lahori food item! Lahoris have a zeal and passion for food famous all over Pakistan. This is why they make sure that the food they eat is the best, be it chicken or beef, something to drink or even dessert. This is one of the main reasons why not only is the Inner City food famous but restaurants catering to all taste buds have sprouted all over the city, especially in the posh localities of Gulberg, Cantonment and Defense. Broadly, food of Lahore can be divided into two main categories: The first one is that which is available in the Inner City, which is very 'desi' in nature and is usually very rich. This includes stuff like nihaari, haleem, hareesa, paey, biryani, fried fish, pakoras, samosas, naan, lassi etc. 'Khokas' or small restaurants in downtown Lahore carry such food which is one of the main reasons why people living in these areas hardly ever cook at home and usually order from the khokha around the corner or in the street. Lane upon lane is lined with such small restaurants, which serve hot, fresh food in huge quantities. Some of the most famous ones include places such as Hajji ki nihaari and Yusuf's Qulfa (in Old Anarkali). Recently, Gawalmandi's Food Street has been opened up which has basically made one street in the Gawalmandi area a place where all kinds of food is available, from Sindhi biryani to kebabs and gole gappas to parathas. This place has gained a lot of popularity in a very short span of time and has attracted people from all over Lahore and outside. A second category of food available in Lahore is that in posh restaurants of the city, ranging from Chinese to Pakistani or even Thai food. Such restaurants are usually found in the Gulberg area and attract a certain class of people. These restaurants are usually extremely busy all week round but more so on weekends since eating out is considered one of the main forms of entertainment in Lahore. Traditional spicy food for Lahore's palettes is available in the newer areas of Lahore as well, in restaurants such as Bundu Khan and The Village, both of which are excellent places to go to if one wants to get a taste of the real Lahori food in a hygienic and pollution-free environment. The Village also has a very earthy village look to it with rustic settings and decorations, which reminds one of Punjabi villages in the inner part of the province. Chinese food also has a special taste of its own in Lahore and has been altered to suit the needs of the residents who want a little bit of spice in even the blandest of blends! Lahore has also recently seen a sprouting of fast food restaurants, mostly in the newer parts of town. International food chains such as Pizza Hut, Macdonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, UNO Pizzeria Chicago Grill and other such eateries. This is mainly because these places cater to the younger crowd who wants to have a place to hang around in. Eating out in Lahore is probably the easiest and most enjoyable thing to do. Because of lack of other activities such as cinemas and play places restaurants and food in general has a very large mass appeal. So if you want to have nihaari or a burger, chow mein or gole gappay, come to Lahore and enjoy what the city has to offer to the palettes of all! |
